AILA Elects 2013-2014 Officers

San Francisco, CA - The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) today elected new officers to its Executive Committee for the 2013-2014 term. The election results were announced at the official membership meeting during AILA's 57th Annual Conference being held in San Francisco, CA. The following officers were elected today: T. Douglas Stump was installed as AILA's President, Leslie A. Holman as President-Elect, Victor D. Nieblas Pradis as First Vice President, William A. Stock as Second Vice President, Annaluisa Padilla as Treasurer, and Anastasia Tonello as Secretary.

T. Douglas Stump Installed as New President of AILA

AILA installed T. Douglas Stump, an immigration lawyer from Oklahoma City, OK, as the association's President for the 2013-2014 term.

Mr. Stump has been an attorney practicing immigration law for over 30 years and maintains offices in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City. He focuses his practice on employment-based immigration law, complex deportation, federal court litigation and family immigration matters. His firm is one of the oldest immigration law firms in the state of Oklahoma and represents a large portfolio of clients across the U.S. ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to individuals. His clients include energy companies, engineering firms, I.T. firms, hospitals, colleges and universities, non-profit organizations, medical research institutes, and many more. He specializes in securing work visas for highly skilled foreign employees and assisting professionals such as physicians, nurses, engineers and others seeking immigration benefits and Waivers. He is well known for his aggressive federal court litigation practice.

A nationally recognized attorney, and popular speaker, for legal, industry, business, and civic organizations, Mr. Stump has been listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers since 1996, and is listed in "Best Lawyers in America" for immigration law. Mr. Stump was recently recognized in Oklahoma Magazine as one of the Top 50 Super Lawyers in Oklahoma, and has been afforded an AV Rating by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. He was recently recognized by Chambers USA as one of the leading immigration lawyers in the United States.

Previously, Mr. Stump served as President-Elect of AILA for the 2012-2013term. Mr. Stump has been senior editor for AILA Publications and has coedited over thirty books on immigration law. He was previously an adjunct professor of immigration law at the Oklahoma City University School of Law, where he earned his J.D. He is also the former General Counsel for the Oklahoma State Council for Human Resource Management.

Leslie A. Holman Named President-Elect of AILA

AILA elected Leslie A. Holman, an immigration attorney from Burlington, VT, as the association's President-Elect for the 2013-2014 term.

Ms. Holman has been practicing law for 27 years and focusing exclusively on immigration related issues since 1999. She is the founder of Holman Immigration Law, a law firm located in Burlington, VT, and limited to the practice of immigration and nationality matters. She represents both corporate and individual clients.

Ms. Holman has served as the Chair of AILA's Admissions and Border Enforcement Committee, the Vice Chair of AILA's National CBP Liaison Committee, a member of AILA's National Interagency Committee, and she is also the AILA New England Chapter liaison to regional ports of entry.

Ms. Holman is also a member the Vermont State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights and a board member of the Chittenden Valley Health Area Education Center. In 2008, she was awarded AILA's distinguished "Sam Williamson Mentor Award." She speaks frequently to a wide variety of audiences on all aspects of immigration.

Victor D. Nieblas Pradis Named First Vice President of AILA

AILA elected Victor D. Nieblas Pradis, an immigration attorney from City of Industry, CA, as the association's First Vice President for the 2013-2014 term.

Mr. Nieblas practices Immigration Law in Southern California where he focuses on deportation defense, Federal Court litigation, consular abroad processing, immigrant and non-immigrant visas, waivers and appellate work. He graduated from Loyola Law School in 1995 and serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

An AILA member since 1997, he has served the Association as a Director on the Board of Governors and as Chair of the Southern California Chapter. He is a past Chairperson for the Immigration Law Section for the Hispanic National Bar Association, a past Trustee for the Mexican American Bar Association (MABA), and past chairperson of the MABA Immigration Subcommittee.

Mr. Nieblas is the guest legal commentator for several local news broadcasts, including "MundoFox Noticias 22" News in Los Angeles, Univisión's Primera Edición, and MundoFox National News. Mr. Nieblas has also hosted a Cable Television show named "Inmigración 411" where he provides answers to viewer questions and is recognized as an immigration expert. He is also regularly quoted in major national print media and often appears on national news broadcasts discussing Immigration Law.

William A. Stock Named Second Vice President of AILA

AILA elected William A. Stock, an immigration attorney from Philadelphia, PA, as the association's Second Vice President for the 2013-2014 term.

Mr. Stock is a founding partner of Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP, in the firm's Philadelphia office. He handles all aspects of immigration law, including employment based immigration for all sizes of companies as well as individuals, complex family-based matters, citizenship and naturalization matters, defending removal proceedings and DOL enforcement proceedings, and litigating in the federal courts.
He previously served as an elected Director for the AILA Board of Governors, as well as the Business Committee Chair, and the Distance Learning Committee Chair. He has spoken at numerous immigration conferences and written extensively, including being a Senior Editor of AILA's annual Immigration & Nationality Law Handbook.

A summa cum laude graduate of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, Mr. Stock received his law degree from the University of Minnesota. In 2000, he received AILA's Joseph Minsky Award for outstanding accomplishments in immigration law. In addition to his practice, he has also been an Adjunct Professor at Villanova University School of Law.

Annaluisa Padilla Named Treasurer of AILA

AILA elected Annaluisa Padilla, an immigration attorney from La Habra, CA, as the association's Treasurer for the 2013-2014 term.

Ms. Padilla was born in Guatemala and immigrated to the United States in 1983. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and her law degree from Whittier Law School.

Ms. Padilla, a solo practitioner, served as Trustee of the Mexican American Bar Association (MABA) for six years and as Treasurer in 2010 and 2011. She also served as Trustee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) in 2006-2008 and 2010-2012, and Chair of their immigration section for the 2007-2008 term. She has volunteered with the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), the Domestic Violence Project, the HIV & AIDS Legal Services Alliance, and the Immigration Legal Assistance Project. She is fluent in Spanish, conversational in German and Portuguese. She was recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Anastasia Tonello Elected Secretary of AILA

AILA elected Anastasia Tonello, an immigration attorney from New York, NY, as the association's new Secretary.

Ms. Tonello is Managing Partner of Laura Devine Attorneys in New York and is also a Partner of Laura Devine Solicitors in London. She was a charter member and officer of AILA's Rome District Chapter and currently serves as the Chair of AILA's Department of State Committee. She has been recognized in Who's Who Legal, Legal 500 UK Edition, Chambers Guide to the UK Legal Profession, and SuperLawyers.

Having spent the majority of her career practicing US law as an immigrant in London, Ms. Tonello has experienced many of the issues and obstacles immigrants in this country encounter-both personally and professionally.

Ms. Tonello joined AILA as a member in 1998. She is a frequent speaker on consular issues having spoken at professional conferences and at the world's leading business schools in the US and abroad.

She received her B.A. from Indiana University and her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame.

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The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.